Proposed display system is designed to display full required volume of visual information in form of collimated, i.e., projected into optical infinity, image in the field of view of the motorcyclist or driver of another vehicle in direction of moving while driving and maneuvering. Due to this the driver does not need to turn his head when using side rear-view mirrors or monitoring sensors located on the motorcycle steering wheel and therefore losing visual control of the road. Even a short-term loss of visual control of the road is risky for the driver. The readjusting, of visual apparatus when changing direction of sight from the road to the rear-view mirrors or sensors located on the steering wheel is also potential security risk for driving. In both cases visual adaptation and accommodation are changing and as it takes some time even experienced driver may be mistaken in assessing the actual traffic situation during this time.
Currently there are motorcycle helmets equipped with various optoelectronic devices that provide the driver with additional visual information when driving. Described in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,771,497 patent the motorcycle helmet has following distinctive features:
“1. A helmet comprising an outer protective shell, a channel through the helmet inside the shell, and a one piece mounting adjacent the roof of the channel mounted to, the inside of the shell, the mounting carrying or comprising at least one mirror facing from the mounting into the channel, the mirror or mirrors enabling a person wearing the helmet to see through the channel, and sideways locating means between the shell and the mounting, including a rib on one of the shell and the mounting and means defining a groove to receive the rib on the other of the shell and the mounting”, see col. 6, lines 35-45 of the patent description.The helmet by U.S. Pat. No. 9,414,634B2 patent has another distinctive features:“1. A helmet comprising a head shield;a video camera coupled with the helmet shield and configured to generate video data from a scene substantially not in the field of view of a wearer of the helmet;a mounting base configured to act as gyroscopic base and couple the video camera as a whole unit with the helmet and further configured to automatically, without user input, maintain a desired fixed direction of the video camera with respect to ground independent of an orientation or change of orientation of the helmet with respect to the ground; and a display device directly coupled with the video camera and configured to display the video data”, see col. 5, lines 27-41 description of the patent.Despite the originality of proposed in the above U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,771,497 and 9,414,634 patents technical solutions both of them have significant drawback: to watch a rear hemisphere picture the motorcyclist has to look at the upper part of the helmet and since at this time he loses visual contact with the road and his visual apparatus is being reconfigured the dangerous consequences are possible.The technical solution by U.S. Pat. No. 10,098,401 patent is the most close to the proposed in present Application for patent technical solution by the structure and parameters. According to the description of the U.S. Pat. No. 10,098,401, see col. 1, lines 65-67; col. 2, lines 1-5, the proposed helmet has following distinctive features:“The present invention comprises a helmet having a battery-operated augmented reality display. According to an illustrative embodiment, the helmet comprises a Hill-face motorcycle helmet with a look-down micro-display that projects a virtual image in-line with the helmet's chin bar (which is space that is already obstructed from the motorcyclist's field of view”.The main disadvantage of this technical solution is that the image of visual information picture has small angular dimensions caused by small linear dimensions of the display that should fit in a confined space between the motorcyclist's chin and the helmet's chin bar. Another significant drawback is that the visual information picture is located below the external viewing area in the direction of travel seen by the motorcyclist through the transparent visor. In this case the motorcyclist is unable to view formed by the display visual information image against the external space background in real-time mode and he has to change his sight direction every time from external space picture to the visual information image and vice versa, as a result, temporary losing visual road controlling that seriously complicates driving and adversely affects safety when increasing the motorcycle speed.Also it is important to note the following statement given in the U.S. Pat. No. 10,098,401 patent see col. 6, lines 39-43:“For example, although in the illustrative embodiment display device 24 is not a heads-up-display, use of a heads-up-display with combination with the other features of the present invention is considered within the scope of the invention”This is a groundless statement since in this invention there is no main fundamental advantage of HUD: providing the capability to view ambient space picture and collimated into optical infinity image of visual information parametric data which are combined in a single angular field of view simultaneously.Another feature of the helmet by U.S. Pat. No. 10,098,401, see col. 7, lines 1-10:“a gyroscope disposed within said cavity, wherein said gyroscope is adapted to generate a first signal;a rear-view camera adapted to generate a second signal, the rear-view camera being disposed within said cavity on a pivot, said pivot adapted to move in response to said first signal such that said rear-view camera can be gyroscopically stabilized;a display disposed within said inner shell, wherein said display is adapted to (i) receive said second signal and (ii) convert said second signal into an image”.The drawback of such technical solution is inevitable lag of video image of the helmet rear hemisphere in relation to the real road situation picture caused by inertia parameters of the mechanical device that fulfills the turns of the video camera when the motorcyclist turns his head quickly.
The purpose of present Application is to eliminate above-stated disadvantages of known technical solutions by use of a proposed Helmet-mounted display system for motorcycle drivers consisting of three components: the helmet containing the HUD-type equipment which is adapted for peculiarities of the motorcycle driving, digital wi-fi signals generator and rear hemisphere view system such as TV-camera. The last two components are fixed on the motorcycle body. The equipment located in the motorcyclist helmet provides all required visual information including the rear hemisphere image, generated by use of wide-angle rear view TV-camera, and data of sensors of speed, engine speed, remaining fuel, GPS system, etc., in the form of luminous collimated image of information picture, generated within the wide angular field of view against the background of ambient road situation picture in the direction of traffic. Implementation of this technical solution provides the motorcyclist with capability for driving, including maneuvering when overtaking and changing lanes, without losing the visual road contacting and readjustment of visual apparatus necessity that provides a significant increase in driving safety.